Her love life is pregnant with possibility.
Megan Dowling, a 24-year-old new mum from Atlanta, Georgia, in the US, has found love again after being left by the baby’s father when she was 19 weeks pregnant.
Ms Dowling, a hairstylist, has been dating someone new for two months and she said he’s ready to be her baby’s stepdad, the New York Postreports.
She gave birth to her daughter Meadow on September 27 and met her boyfriend, 43, when she was seven months pregnant.
“I know dating while pregnant is unconventional, but you deserve love just as much as the next person,” she told Caters News.
“Your baby deserves a mama who is full of happiness and joy. Of course, be safe and make sure you’re still guarding your heart and protecting your peace — but just because you’re pregnant, it does not mean you’re undeserving,” she added.
Ms Dowling said she met her former partner in 2022 after her friend invited her to his birthday dinner party and the pair hit it off.
Ms Dowling became pregnant nine months into the relationship and he left her after she got pregnant because he wasn’t ready for kids.
“I was extremely heartbroken, at first, but thankfully, I have such a great support system who lifted me up and I was able to move past it quickly,” she said.
“I’ve always been one to not stress over things I can’t control — I still reach out to my ex and update him on my pregnancy,” she continued.
She said the hardest part about her break-up has been bringing her baby into a “broken home.”
And then something unexpected happened — she started getting lots of attention from men while her baby bump was growing.
“I started receiving so many compliments from guys on Instagram and was shocked,” she shared.
She thought about the possibility of dating again and an old TV show inspired her to get back into the dating pool.
“Then I came across an old TV series, ‘Pregnant and Dating.’ I tried to find more on TikTok and blogs about other women, but there’s not much out there,” she said.
“Since then, I’ve discovered that a lot of pregnant women do date but they’re just embarrassed to talk about it,” she added.
She’s sharing her story so other pregnant women without a spouse can get the confidence they need to find new love.
“I know I could’ve used someone else’s stories to help me in the beginning so I hope I do the same,” she said.
“My dating profile looked just like any other! I had photos of myself, updated of course, but just selfies,” she added.
She said since she was “very pregnant” during her dating search, she listed she had children on her profile. She met her new boyfriend on the dating app Hinge.
“I never imagined I would actually be able to find such a genuine person in my situation,” she said.
“He’s helped me so much and has made me feel loved. My mum loves him just as much as me, and I can’t wait to see what our future holds,” she said of her new beau.
She and her new partner, who also has kids of his own, are taking things “day by day.”
“He’s constantly reassuring me that everything is going to be okay, which is nice to hear when it sometimes feels like it’s not,” she effused.
She said her partner has some nerves” but is dedicated to showing her the love she deserves and is a perfect gentleman.
“He never lets me open a door, he cooks multiple nights a week, checks on me when he can see I’m uncomfortable and is currently bringing me breakfast to the hospital since it’s running late!” she said.
“He’s the kindest soul and I totally lucked out finding him. He’s helped me with so much around my house and nursery. He’s always keeping me active and happy,” she added.
She said that the fact that her partner already has a family has given him a helpful experience to help her during her pregnancy.
“Most importantly, he has kids of his own so he understands how difficult pregnancy can be. He just wishes I would’ve had a better beginning, but the ending has been perfect,” she said.
This article originally appeared in the New York Post and has been reproduced with permission.